Musical Dispatch from the Front – It Had to Happen – January 2026

[Frank Baarda]

‘It Had to Happen’ our Adelaide correspondent labelled the email he sent me this on.

I remember a cartoon I saw many years ago:

A patient dressed like Napoleon entered a psychiatrist’s office causing the psychiatrist to burst out laughing. The laughter subsided in the second frame when the Napoleon character was followed by a squad of armed soldiers.

It never occurred to me at the time that the cartoon setting would become a reality. When Agent Orange burst on the scene with such gems as “an injection of bleach will cure Covid” and “They eat the pets” most of us had a bit of a chuckle.

The obviously fake “It had to happen” scenario is not beyond the realm of possibility. Like the good citizens of Greenland, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Canada (and the rest of the world) we’re not laughing.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN0iUqHnRHk&t=2s

♫ ♫ ♫ Joe Callicott (Mississippi Joe Callicott) - Laughing To Keep From Crying

 

Not all is lost. Jason from Birdwood stopped to change our blown out tire, on the freeway near Tintinara, a task which would have taken us at least four hours.

We paid Jason back by picking up Andreas near Coober Pedy who had roasted in the sun for six hours trying to cadge a lift.

Cheers,

Frank